Nature Play

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you might recognize a couple of these photos. I have been itching to put the rest of these photos up on my blog, but I waited until the magazine that they are in came out. I picked up a copy yesterday, so finally, I can share these photos with everyone!

August was a very busy month, because I was working on two photo projects for Metro Family, as well as my normal photography and networking routine. The second project is in the same issue as these photos are, but today I am going to talk about the Nature Play photos. So, let's get to it!

First, I just want to thank Hannah Schmitt, Leslie Spears, and and Lori Ann Gregory, for making this photoshoot possible and answering any questions I had.

This photoshoot took place at an outdoor Tinkergarten class, taught by Lori, at Pat Murphy Park. The sun was shining bright, and the morning breeze was cool and perfect. Parents explored with their kids, and some of the activities included story time, snack time, and free play. But the activity that stood out to me was when Lori encouraged all of the kids to go around the park, and find "ingredients" for the "stew" that they were going to make for the trees. She gave a few examples, like the rocks that they found would taste like potatoes, or grass clippings could season the broth. But more importantly, she told them to use their imagination.

It was awesome seeing these kids exploring and using their imagination so freely. With tweezers and a tin bowl in their hands, they chased bugs and picked grass, and put it in their bowls to dump into the stew pot. They felt the dirt on their hands and knees, and the tree roots underneath their feet. It made me want to be a little kid again.

If you would like to read the article, which I highly recommend, you can find a free copy at Homeland, Crest, and more.